Boys Basketball

Late-game heroics down Africentric in regional final

One of the district’s top players came through for the Harvest Prep boys basketball team during the final minute of a Division IV regional championship game March 14 at Ohio University.

David Dennis Jr., a junior guard who made first-team all-district while averaging 22 points for the Warriors, made a pair of free throws and got a steal during the game’s final minute as his team beat Africentric Early College 43-40.

Harvest Prep improved to 26-1 and will play Louisville St. Thomas Aquinas in a state semifinal at 5:15 p.m. Thursday, March 20, at Ohio State.

Africentric finishes 16-11.

Dennis was held to just six points, but his two free throws with 45 seconds left gave the Warriors a 41-40 lead.

Then with 28.5 seconds to go, Dennis made a steal and got a timeout called as he was falling down.

Harvest Prep’s Rael Windley scored with 12.4 seconds left for the game’s final points as Africentric missed a 3-pointer in the closing seconds.

The Nubians led 40-39 with 1:39 left but missed the front end of a one-and-one.

Windley finished with 13 points and Dana Coffman scored 12 for Harvest Prep, which is in the state tournament for the third time. The Warriors were state runners-up in 2007 and 2011, although the 2011 team later forfeited all of its tournament wins.

Jaquan Harrison scored 13 points and Houston Smith added 10 for Africentric, which trailed 18-4 in the first quarter but closed to within 25-22 by halftime.